Suffolk County organizations came together to ensure that those at rest in Potter’s Field are not forgotten but remembered as part of Suffolk County’s story.
Suffolk County legislator Jim Mazzarella said, “Today, we gathered at the Almshouse Cemetery in Yaphank — also known as Potter’s Field — a solemn reminder of Suffolk County’s poorhouse era. Here lie the poor, the sick, the orphaned, the elderly, and the marginalized — many buried without family, without ceremony, and without a name.”
The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), the Yaphank Historical Society, Suffolk County Parks, the Sheriff’s Office, and many community partners came together at this sacred ground to restore it and remember. Every gravestone was cleaned, the grounds were cared for, and flowers donated by Bay Gardens were placed on each grave with reverence.
The DAR researched the lives of those buried here, allowing everyone the opportunity to recognize them as people who lived and shaped our history. The inscriptions came back into view. Among them:
• Joshua Reeve (1871) — The first person laid to rest here.
• Ebenezer “Eben” Blatchley (1808–1883) — A Civil War veteran.
• Robert Cuffee (1875–1884) — A 9-year-old orphan whose tragic story was told in newspapers across New York.
• Baby Agnes Leonard (1887) — Who lived just six short weeks.
• Herman & Charlotte Fehner — Immigrants from Germany who passed away just days apart.
“Each story reminds us that those buried here were more than names or numbers — they were lives lived, with hopes, hardships, and legacies,” said Mazzarella.
The community extended its thanks to:• The Daughters of the American Revolution for their tireless work preserving this history.• Suffolk County Parks (Richard Martin) for guidance and fencing support.• Sheriff Steven Kuehhas & the Sheriff’s Work Release Program for maintaining the grounds.• Bay Gardens for their generous donation of flowers.• HB Millwork for installing the new fence.• The Yaphank Historical Society for their ongoing stewardship and research.